It’s getting harder and harder to find quality candidates — and this is not just anecdotal chatter. Recent survey results bear it out. Staffing Industry Analysts, the publisher of this newsletter, tracks in its monthly pulse survey what is more challenging for staffing firms: recruiting or sales. In the March survey, 54 percent of companies across all staffing sectors found recruiting to be more challenging than sales, up from 22 percent who said so in March 2010.

What that means for the CW manager is that temporary workers are going to be hard to find. And as the economy tracks upward, it’s going to get even tougher to find quality candidates. As the laws of supply and demand kick in, staffing agencies are going to farm out their best candidates to those companies that are willing to pay top dollar. When finding the right applicant requires more effort, staffing agencies will ask to be compensated appropriately.

So brace yourselves; it’s going to be an expensive ride. As recruiting gets harder, rates are going to go up. If you want a quality worker, be prepared to pay. Additionally, you can start planning your company’s workforce requirements ahead of time. Get together with business unit leaders and make a plan. Having a solid plan can give you a head start on finding the right workers, though it won’t insulate you from paying those rates.

CWS 3.0

CWS 3.0

Staffing Industry Analysts is the global advisor on contingent work. Known for its independent and objective insights, the company's proprietary research, award-winning content, data, support tools, publications, and executive conferences provide a competitive edge to decision-makers who supply and buy temporary staffing.